OpenAI on September 16, 2026, introduced new AI-powered advertising experiences for ChatGPT Ads, including a test of Sponsored Agents, natural-language campaign and creative tools for advertisers, and integrations with HubSpot and Shopify that the company described as its first CRM and ecommerce partnerships.
Sponsored Agents Enter US Testing
When a relevant ad appears in ChatGPT, users can choose to enter a clearly labeled conversation with a business-sponsored agent. In that conversation, people can spell out what matters to them, pose follow-up questions, and click through to the business’s website when they are ready to move forward. OpenAI gave the example of a shopper who spots a dining table in an ad and wants to know whether it fits their space, how many people it seats, or how to care for its finish.
According to OpenAI, a conversation with a Sponsored Agent is distinct from ChatGPT’s independent answers and separate from the user’s original ChatGPT conversation. The company said the format can help people judge whether a product or service is the right fit, while giving businesses a way to guide interested customers through their offerings in a personalized conversation.
Sponsored Agents are now being tested with select advertisers in the United States.
AI Tools for Campaign Creation and Management
OpenAI said many of the tasks behind building and managing campaigns, from translating a brief into an ad to analyzing performance, can take significant time. Advertisers can now use simple natural-language prompts to create, update, and analyze campaigns directly in ChatGPT through the Ads Manager plugin. A website or brief can serve as the starting point for a campaign, and the plugin can report on performance and recommend next steps.
OpenAI is also rolling out AI assistance inside Ads Manager for ad creation. When drafting an ad, advertisers receive suggested copy and imagery drawn from their landing page and campaign objective, and they can review and edit those suggestions before deciding whether to add them to a campaign.
A third capability is opt-in AI-powered text customization. When enabled, it adjusts an advertiser’s existing headlines and descriptions so they better fit the context of a conversation, and it automatically translates ad copy into the user’s preferred language.
HubSpot and Shopify Integrations
OpenAI described HubSpot as its first CRM partner and Shopify as its first ecommerce partner for ChatGPT Ads. Starting September 16, 2026, businesses that manage their customers in HubSpot can connect a ChatGPT Ads account and, without leaving HubSpot, create ads, monitor performance, and follow up on leads, with the work powered by their existing HubSpot context.
Also available from September 16, US-based Shopify merchants can use the new ChatGPT Ads app in the Shopify App Store to create and manage ChatGPT ad campaigns. OpenAI said merchants’ products are already integrated through Shopify Catalog, so they can begin running the ads and tracking performance right away.
The app’s Shopify App Store listing shows it is free, developed by OpenAI, and carries a launch date of September 3, 2026. According to the listing, merchants can connect an existing ChatGPT Ads account or create a new one from Shopify, automatically sync product inventory information between their store and ChatGPT, and build ads from their product catalog. Campaigns run across ChatGPT using a Shopify pixel and conversion events, and merchants can track performance and manage campaigns without leaving Shopify. The listing enumerates targeting options for audience segments, custom audiences, device, location, platform, and product category, and performance analytics covering ad spend, click-through rates, conversion tracking, and cost per acquisition.
The app will become available internationally in markets where ChatGPT Ads are available starting September 23, 2026.
Availability, Early Advertisers, and Ad Labeling
Businesses can sign up through OpenAI’s advertiser page, which offers new advertisers $500 in ad credit when they spend $500. After signing up, advertisers are taken into Ads Manager, where they can create an account and campaigns and access step-by-step Help Center resources. The page lays out a three-step flow: set up a campaign with a budget and goal, add ad details directly in the tool or through a bulk upload, then launch, measure results, and edit campaigns to optimize performance.
The page names Newegg, Best Buy, Lowe’s, and VistaPrint as early advertisers on ChatGPT. Alec Shao, a performance marketing manager at Newegg, said the retailer wants to reach people while they research purchases, and that being present in ChatGPT during that research helps build consideration for Newegg.
OpenAI states on the page that ads are clearly identified in the ChatGPT experience, that ads remain distinct from ChatGPT’s responses, and that people control how their data is used for ads. The company says it is taking a measured approach, focused on an experience that is useful for advertisers while maintaining the trust people have in ChatGPT.
